Founder

“Fluid is the water of life that saves people”A person who devotes his life to fluid.

In 1945, Sungcheon Lee Gi Seok founded Chosun Pharmaceutical Pharma (now JW Pharmaceutical) and devoted himself to the development of Pharmaceuticals based on the spirit of respect of life. He has been leading the domestic therapeutic medicines industry such as localizing the fluid, which was dependent on imports in 1959.

Born in Gimpo, Gyeonggi province on March 17, 1910, he became devout Buddhist which emphasized Buddha’s compassion and devoted to Chinese Literature which emphasized life and harmony by influence of his father.
Based on these two ideologies, Sungcheon devoted himself and his life to the production of fluid and medicine that are essential for patient care, in the spirit of life respect.

“The pharmaceutical companies dealing with life should produce only about one medicine ahead of their profits.”, he said. In the 1960s, even facing financial difficulties caused by ungenerous infusion production profit, CEO Lee Gi Seok did not hesitate to invest in the development of therapeutic medicine to save lives.

In 1964, he started to develop ‘Hartmann’ and ‘L-Arginine Injection’ and succeeded in developing ‘Gentamicin’, the first antibiotic in Korea. In 1969, he succeeded in synthesizing the antibiotic ‘Rizynomycine’, leading the domestic antibiotic market and in 1972, he succeeded in synthesizing the raw material of ‘Pivaroxine’, the most advanced antibiotic, and once again surprised the world.

Sungcheon did not care even it would cause harm to himself if the work is for national health and public benefit. In 1969, he stopped the operation of the plant for only one person and contributed greatly to the first kidney transplantation operation in Korea by dedicating on the production of peritoneal dialysis fluid which is essential for surgery.

In the 1970s, the company was reluctant to give permission for hot seller ‘HurraKill’, a rat poison pill, because it was ‘A life killing drug’ even though it made enormous contribution to saving the difficult company situation. Sungcheon Lee Gi Seok awarded the grand prize of the 5th Entrepreneur Awards, 23 years after he passed away in 1975. He was reappraised for his contribution to the development of the fluid medicine, one of the three medical revolutions of mankind. Take the spirit of Sungcheon Lee Gi Seok, the JW Group continues to focus on supplying essential medicines, including fluid, spreading the business of the public benefit first and practice corporate social responsibility.

Sungcheon Award is established and enacted by Lee Chong Ho, Chief director of JW Foundation (Honorary Chairman of JW Group), to commemorate the accomplishment of the Sungcheon Lee Gi Seok, who contributed to the improvement of the national health through the development of the first infusion system and the supply of essential medicines and to spread the entrepreneurship foundation spirit, “Respect for life” and contribute to national society development.Sungcheon Award will be awarded to a medical practitioner who made great contribution to the improvement of the human welfare by healing the body and mind of people suffering from disease and poverty at home and abroad.

With Sungcheon Award, JW Foundation identify great medical person who carry out love of neighbor through sacrifice and dedication in the shades.We would like to spread the spirit of ‘Respect for life’, which is the purpose of the establishment of this award, and make our society warmer and healthier.